We spoke with Robert J. Thompson, professor of Television and
Popular Culture at Syracuse University, and Todd Dewett, a
management professor at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio
and Tarantino film fan, about what makes Tarantino films so
popular, which business lessons his movies teach us, and what we
can learn from his career.

"[Tarantino's] characters are so compellingly flawed," Thompson
says. "They speak in the language regular people understand,
dripping in popular culture references people are going to get."
While Tarantino films are controversial for their violence,
language and subject matter, business lessons can be extracted
from them such as what to look for
when hiring, how to work with others, and what to look for in
training
programs.

Here are four business lessons for Quentin Tarantino movies:

1. Find the right training to get to the top of your
game.
In Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2, Uma Thurman's character, The
Bride, seeks revenge against the group who destroyed her life and
left her for dead on her wedding day. Her singular focus on
getting revenge against Bill and his team fuels her martial arts
makeover and she is transformed into a force to be reckoned
with.

While revenge isn't the best motivation in business, Thurman's
character shows what's possible when effective training programs
are implemented. According to Dewett, many training dollars are
wasted each year because businesses don't bring in the right
person to train their employees. Companies need to find a great
teacher, make sure their employees have the motivation to learn
new skills, then provide them with an opportunity to use their
new skills.

2. Assemble a strong team.
Tarantino creates a team of actors that work well together,
Dewett says. Other movie producers believe hiring one major movie
star will be enough to carry a film to box office glory and are
surprised when the movie flops.

Similarly, many companies believe success is achieved by hiring a
marquee talent. A fundamental mistake companies make is they look
at a candidate's resume and how they perform in an interview with
one executive, when they should really see how that individual
fits within the existing team, says Dewett. Many times, companies
hire someone who looks great on paper, only to discover later
they don't mesh well with the rest of the team.

3. Choose quality over quantity.
Tarantino
decided to make one movie every few years, allowing him to be
fully invested in each endeavor, Dewett notes. He assembles a
stellar cast, develops a script with great writing, and takes his
time with each project.

Many businesses are in a race with their competition, and "change
too much instead of just enough," says Dewett. "A company has a
finite capacity for change," he says. He advises against the
impulse to 'keep up with the Joneses.' "The best practice for
[one company] may not be the best for your company," Dewett
cautions.

4. Surround yourself with top talent.
Tarantino has chosen really good projects, most of which he's
generated himself, as writer, director, producer and actor,
Thompson says. He's known for quirky, but excellent casting, and
he's surrounded himself with a team of top-notch talent and
production groups, many of whom he's worked with throughout his
career, and with good reason, says Dewett.

Directors like Tarantino love candor, useful feedback, and aren't
afraid to have difficult conversations. Likewise, in order to run
their business successfully, leaders need to surround themselves
with employees they can depend on who aren't afraid of conflict.